0817 你是沮丧还是委身？
…耶稣听见了，就说：「你还缺少一件，要变卖你一切所有的…你还要来跟从我。」他听见这话，就甚忧愁，因为他很富足。《路加福音 18:22-23》
你是否听过主对你说过一些很困难的事情？如果你没听过，我怀疑你是否曾经听过祂说过任何话。耶稣对我们说了很多话，我们是在听，但实际上并没有听进去。一旦我们真正听到祂的声音，祂的话是严厉且不妥协的。
耶稣对这个有钱的少年官应否照祂讲的去作，并没有表现出丝毫在乎，耶稣也没有试图留住这个人与祂在一起。祂只是对他说：「变卖你一切所有的…还要来跟从我。」我们的主从未恳求他；祂从未试图诱惑他——祂只是说了一句人耳所听过最严厉的话，然后就离开他了。
我曾否听过耶稣对我说过些困难和不妥协的话吗？祂曾否亲自对我说些我有意倾听的事情——不是我可为别人之故而讲给别人听的，而是我听到祂直接对我说的事情？这个人明白耶稣所说的。他听得很清楚，明白这话意思的全面影响，这让他心碎了。他不是像一个反叛的人离开，而是像一个悲伤沮丧的人。他带着热情和决心来到耶稣面前，但耶稣的话却让他僵住了。那些话没有激发出对耶稣的热情委身，反而产生了心碎的气馁。耶稣并没有追着他，而是让他离去。我们的主非常清楚，一旦祂的话被真正听到，迟早就会结出果实。可怕的是，我们有些人阻止祂的话在我们现在的生活中结出果子。我想知道当我们最终决定在这特定点上向祂委身时，我们会说什么？有一点是肯定的——祂永远不会把我们过去的失败丢在我们脸上。
来自章伯斯的智慧
当一个人的心与神是正确的时候，圣经中神秘的言语对他来说就是灵和生命。属灵的真理对纯净的心灵是可辨识的，而非对敏锐的智力。这不是智力深度的问题，而是心灵的纯洁。《引领儿子进入荣耀》
0817 Are You Discouraged or Devoted?
…Jesus…said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. —Luke 18:22-23
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
When a man’s heart is right with God the mysterious utterances of the Bible are spirit and life to him. Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect. It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart. —Bringing Sons Unto Glory, 231 L